


and if my wishes came true, it would've been you -

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang has been in love with Katara for years, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Azula is trying her best, Big Brother Sokka (Avatar), F/M, Heartbreak, Multi, Ozai is still a piece of shit, Past Abuse, Reunions, Slow Burn, Ursa (Avatar) is a Good Parent, i'm still not sure about the ships, we're in for a surprise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:13:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27620522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Mai still thought about Zuko now and then. Mainly at night, when she'd found herself drifting off, remembering things like the way he smelled or how warm her cheeks would feel whenever he was around. It had been nine years since Ozai had "accidentally" burnt Zuko, and he was sent to live with his uncle somewhere far away, at least that's what Azula said. But, Mai knew better than to trust Azula.Just like she knew she must've had ulterior motives when she found herself at Azula's birthday party, face to face with the boy she once loved
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Past Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 37





	1. familiar faces, new friends

**Author's Note:**

> hi, this chapter is super short, and i am not completely sure where this is going, so please bear with me. I've had this idea for like a month, and i want to try to write it <333
> 
> also, English isn't my first language, so if something doesn't make sense or anything, please let me know, and I'll fix it <33 muah

**_ "You're coming to my birthday party, right?"  _ **

Mai looked up from the book she was reading, raising her eyebrow at the younger girl. It wasn't a question; Azula didn't ask her questions; it was a demand. Every time Azula demanded something from her, she wanted to talk back, even if she didn't mind doing the thing. Azula had too much power over her, and they both knew it.

She was never Azula's friend, or that's what she told herself. Her parents had pushed a friendship on her, one she didn't want. Even as a kid, she had no interest in spending every moment with Azula. She didn't mind Ty Lee, who seemed to be in the same position as herself. Ty Lee and Mai were the opposite, but they both had the same purpose, to entertain Azula and make sure she was happy, to have a stable friendship with the emperor's daughter. 

Azula throwing a birthday party made no sense; she had no friends other than the two of them, no one from their university would want to come in fear of both Azula and her dad. Meaning it would once again be Azula, Ty Lee, and herself at an awkward dinner that felt more like a competition of who could compliment Azula the most, featuring her parents. 

"Of course, Azula. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Her tone was neutral, refusing to let Azula know how much she didn't want to. A grin grew on the younger girl's face before she turned around, allowing Mai to go back to reading her book. It wasn't that "Love Amongst the Dragons" was the best book, but it was his favorite book. 

It had been nine years since she last saw Zuko; he was hiding something from her, and she could tell from the moment he walked into the room. His posture straighter than usual, and the words leaving his mouth weren't his; they were his fathers.

Emperor Ozai terrified Mai; he was huge. He made Mai feel smaller than normal, as if she was nothing compared to him or his precious Azula. She never understood why he didn't like Zuko; she did. The pale girl liked Zuko a lot, to the point where she'd blush any time he was close to her. Zuko was special, he was the only person Mai knew who made her feel anything other than bored, and even when they weren't together, Mai found herself thinking about something he'd said if she needed a laugh.

The next day Azula told her her father had accidentally dropped a burning candle on Zuko because he wasn't sitting still, and because of that, he'd been sent away to learn how to behave, staying with his uncle.

Mai didn't believe that for a second, but like the good girl she'd been raised to be, she didn't question her. She knew better than to question Azula, even at twelve.

Now, Zuko came back to her in flashes when she least expected it. She did wear a necklace every day, a red and gold necklace Zuko had given to her for her twelfth birthday, two weeks before he left. She didn't think about him often anymore, only when she was alone, away from the claws of Azula. Every night before bed, she'd look at herself in the mirror, her fingers running over her necklace, wondering how he's doing. 

If he ever thought about her.

* * *

"And then I said, you're the one not wearing pants!" 

Sokka's laughter filled the room as usual, but he was the only one laughing. "That's brilliant, Aang!", the grin still on his face as he slapped the younger boy's knee. "You should be a comedian, I'm telling you."

As much as Zuko loved his friends, he never understood the things Sokka and Aang found funny. Once, they spent five minutes in tears over a plastic chair someone had drawn a face on at the side of the road, which had left Zuko confused and struggling to keep his eyes forward. 

He had met Sokka on the first day of school after his father had attacked him, and he was forced to go live with his uncle. Although the boy was a year younger, he was smart enough at age twelve to be in the same class as Zuko, something you never would've expected seeing him around his friends. Sokka made it his mission to befriend Zuko, and although it took him close to two months, he finally managed to get a smile back from the older boy.

Sokka didn't hesitate to introduce him to every single person he knew, and it didn't take long for them to have a stable friend group, even now, nine years later. It was him, Sokka, Sokka's girlfriend Suki, Aang, Toph, and Katara. Katara was Sokka's sister, and Zuko couldn't stand her when they first met. She was bossy, and she was never happy with what Zuko did.

He didn't remember when things changed - when he started looking at her in a different light. But, after a long talk with Sokka, he finally got the courage to ask her out, and after two years, he was glad he did.

"You guys are unbelievable! That's not even funny!" Katara spoke up, lifting her head from Zuko's shoulder.

"Zuko, back me up!" Sokka snapped back, always looking for a reason to argue with his sister.

"She's got a point, Sokka. You're twenty-one; why are you laughing at the possibility of the emperor not wearing pants?"

"Because he's the emperor! It's hilarious!"

**_ Yeah, the emperor and my father.  _ **

Zuko sighed, merely shaking his head at the darker boy, trying his best not to show his discomfort over the subject. He never told them who his father indeed was; to them, uncle was his dad.

But he knew that would have to change when Azula begged him to bring his friends for her birthday, claiming it was about time she met them and that dad had already forgiven him for the accident. Yeah,  _ accident.  _ Zuko frowned, something Suki immediately picked up on.

"Zuko?" the concern in her voice seemed to make everyone else concerned as well. Ugh, why did he have to have such caring friends?

"Would you guys want to come with me to my sister's birthday party?" He asked, forcing a smile as he looked at the rest of them, enjoying their confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> zutara is here for my favorite person <33


	2. do you run towards or from the truth?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko confides in the girls in his life about his past, Mai tries to keep her mind off Azula's upcoming birthday.

"Are you going to tell them they're about to visit the emperor before Sokka shows up in jeans or after?"

Zuko turned around to see Toph standing there, eyebrow raised. For someone who was blind, she was filled with expressions, something Zuko was thankful for - he was not good at reading people. 

It took Toph two months to recognize Zuko after they met; she had pulled him aside after Iroh had invited his friends over for dinner, promising she wouldn't tell anyone. Although they were different, Zuko and Toph were in many ways the most similar people in the group, although they kept it all a secret. There was no need to scare them all away, not yet.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Have Sokka embarrass himself in front of the leader of our nation? It would ruin him." Zuko let out a chuckle as he leaned against his desk, shaking his head. "The humiliation alone would be enough to crush him. My sister would love that." 

His sister. He knew Azula had ulterior motives inviting him, but his friends as well? There was no way this was just an innocent party. She wanted something to happen, something to go wrong. He hadn't seen Azula since her 18th birthday when Uncle begged her to come over for a cup of tea to celebrate the young girl. Zuko hated every second of it. Before that day, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen her. He hadn't seen his father since he was sent away. Nine years. What was he supposed to expect? A hug? A 'Hi, son'? No. That would be getting his hopes up. He expected nothing from his father. Never had, never would.

Emperor Ozai. The emperor couldn't be bothered to talk to his son for nine years. He wondered if he ever thought about him. If Zuko ever as much as crossed his mind. Or if it was all Azula. His favorite child, the prodigy. And then there was his mother. He knew she thought about him, from the letters she would send every other month, telling him she loved him and missed him. But she was yet to visit. She was yet to look Zuko in the eyes as she told him she missed him. Did she really? No, Zuko couldn't keep thinking about this now; he needed to pretend everything was okay.

"Hello, earth to Zuko???"

He hadn't even realized Toph had been talking to him before she was pulling on his shirt. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen them in so long; it's a weird feeling." He said, letting out a sigh. Toph being the only one he was able to confide in was weird, but it felt good. Out of all people, she never tried to apologize or sympathize, something he appreciated.

* * *

"Zuko, you've been quiet. Quieter than usual, I -"

"- For the third time, Katara! I'm fine!"

Zuko regretted raising his voice right away, especially to her. He knew all she ever did was care about him, but he was tired. After his conversation with Toph the day before, the last thing he wanted to think about was his family. And how he was definitely leading his friends right into his sister's trap. He couldn't figure out what Azula had planned no matter how long he thought about it, and it was driving him crazy. 

"Zuko.." Katara didn't seem too bothered by Zuko raising his voice, like she understood where he was coming from. Katara grabbed his hand and pulled him over, signaling for him to put his head in her lap, and he did. Closing his eyes, Zuko allowed himself to relax for the first time that day, his breathing in harmony with her fingers in his hair.

Katara was good. Unlike anyone Zuko had ever known. She listened; she never raised her voice at anyone, unless you were Sokka. She made Zuko feel loved. Sure, he had felt love before. His mother loved him, and Uncle did, but not like Katara. 

"What's on your mind?"

**_You._ **

Zuko shook his head; he knew that wasn't the answer she wanted. She'd make some comment about him having to be serious, and she was worried once again, and he'd lose it. He'd have to be truthful, for once. "I'm worried about going home." he started, feeling a lump in his throat. "I'm worried about seeing the emperor." He felt Katara's hand stiffen in his hair, and he bit his lip.

He expected the worst. To be yelled at, to be called as bad as his father. He knew his girlfriend hated the emperor; he couldn't blame her. Although he didn't realize at the time, his friends had been more than eager to update him on all the awful things his father had been doing and continued to do. Zuko couldn't believe it; how could his father hurt so many innocent people for his own gain? And how was his mother so okay with it? He had been told the story of how Sokka and Katara's mother died a few times, but he'd never dared to tell them his dad was at fault. How do you tell the people you love the most your father is why their mother isn't around?

"Your father is the emperor?" 

He could hear her voice break, and his heart sank. "Emperor Ozai is an awful man, and as far as I'm concerned, Iroh has been more of a father to me than fath - Emperor Ozai ever has been." He knew it wouldn't make up for what he had just told her, so he shut up. She didn't say anything, but neither did he.

The silence lasted for longer than Zuko was comfortable with, and if he was right, it had already been an hour since she last spoke. Katara's silence broke him, but he knew better than to push her. So there he was his head on her lap, playing every possible scenario in his head, grinding his gears trying to figure out what was on Katara's mind. Was she mad at him? Would he be murdered in his sleep? Or poisoned? How would she handle seeing the man who put the scar on Zuko's face? Would she behave? Deciding to speak up, Zuko was cut off the second he opened his mouth by a tear falling from the girl above him on to his cheek.

"I love you, Zuko." 

Sitting up, Zuko wrapped his arms around the younger girl, sighing as he kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Katara. I'm sorry."

* * *

Mai sat still, staring at the dog in front of her. She hated dogs — especially this dog. It was so small, small enough for Mai to kick, she could easily kick it and never have to see it again. God, she wanted to kick it. 

Looking down on her black doc martens, she thought about it for a second, just one, before Ty Lee spoke up. 

"Isn't she the cutest!?" The bubbly girl squealed as she picked up her incredibly tiny dog, grinning from ear to ear. Mai had no idea how to tell the girl that the Chihuahua she was holding made her blood boil. "I think Milkshake likes you, Mai!"

**_Well, make it stop._ **

She'd never say it out loud, but she loved Ty Lee. She was Mai's best friend, and she was pretty sure she was Ty Lee's, but if anyone were to ask either of them, they'd say Azula. Of course they would. She was the emperor's daughter, after all.

"Let's go shopping for Azula's birthday." Ty Lee said with a grin on her face. Her happiness was something Mai was never able to understand. She used to think it was something she kept up around Azula to make sure she never pissed her off, but she kept it up around Mai as well, which left her wondering - was her best friend scared of her too?

"You know Azula is impossible to buy presents for; she'll be disappointed either way. She hasn't even told us what she wants yet, and her birthday is two days away." Mai raised a brow as she studied Ty Lee's face, the grin still apparent. 

"No, silly. We're shopping for us. I want a cute new dress for the party!"

"Who are you trying to impress? The Emperor? He's married, Ty." Mai rolled her eyes, a small laugh following. She loved her best friend.

"Maybe Azula surprises us this year. It's not every day she turns twenty."

**_Thank god for that._ **

"I guess.. I could get a new dress or something." 

"Can I pick the color?" Ty Lee almost jumped at the thought of seeing Mai in anything other than red and black, but from Mai's frown, she knew it wasn't a possibility. 

"You're hilarious."

* * *

Opening the door to her parent's large house, Mai was surprised. Usually, it was locked, and she'd have to stand around waiting for someone to come open, which generally took forever. 

Ever since she moved out of her parent's house, she would come back twice a week. Not because she missed them, but because she needed to make sure they weren't ruining her little brother as well. TomTom was nine now, the perfect age for their parents to start getting into his head like they'd do with her. Mai couldn't even remember the last time she had been allowed to be a kid. Just a kid with no responsibilities, allowed to act out and not stand straight. Allowed to make her own friends. Everything was a political game to her parents, and they'd be damned if their kids were their downfall.

Walking into the kitchen, a smile grew on her face as she saw her brother sitting there, eating the spaghetti the chef had made him for dinner. Their parents were out of town for the week, and although she had promised them she'd stay at the house with him, there were a billion people there, including his babysitters. She didn't have to. "Hi, Mai!!" His face lit up, practically running over to hug her. _At least they didn't make him hide his emotions._ "If you get spaghetti on my dress, I'll murder you." She mumbled before pulling him closer. 

"Could you help me with my homework? No one seems to get it, and you're smart, so."

Mai was the happiest with her brother, and she wanted to take him away from their parents more than anything. He didn't deserve the same fate as her. He deserved better than to be another pawn in their game. He deserved better than to end up like their dad, a slave to Ozai, and his demands.

"Can you bring it to the flower shop? I promised Aunt Mura I'd come in today." She asked, already knowing her brother would love nothing more than to get out of the house for just a moment. It was a win/win situation for both of them, TomTom got out and help with his homework, and Mai got to work at the flower shop while spending time with her brother.

She loved the flower shop. Although her aunt had hired her in hopes it would fix her gloomy personality, which it hadn't, Mai loved the smell of flowers, and she found comfort in helping all the different people who came in and their stories.

* * *

Letting out a loud sigh, Mai fell down on her bed, eyes locked on the ceiling. She was not mentally prepared for what was about to happen the next day. Thinking about spending an entire day, letting Azula boss her around was one thing, but her father as well? Her plan was to stay as close to Ty Lee as possible, hoping Azula would be nicer to them on her birthday.

**_She wouldn't be. If anything, it was the perfect time to get away with absolutely whatever._ **

****

Azula had been incredibly secretive about what they were doing, just that they needed to spend the entire day with her because it was her birthday, and she deserved it, which made Mai laugh. Azula deserved it, sure. 

Looking over at the chair standing by the wall, Mai smiled to herself as she looked at the dress she had bought the day before. Ty Lee insisted it was too 'emo', and it would make her look like she was dressing up as a witch for Halloween, but Mai loved it. Especially the bat sleeves that were big enough for her to hide whatever she wanted in them, maybe even flip off the emperor a time or two. She chuckled; perhaps tomorrow wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.

If she only knew what Azula had planned.


	3. suppressed memories and candles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw; child abuse, anxiety attack
> 
> mai is frustrated with azula, zuko deals with memories flooding back as he makes his way back home

**_azula; 2:45 pm:_ **

_zuzu!! are you here yet? i'm bored!_

  
  


Zuko sighed as he looked at his screen; he wasn't ready to deal with Azula, not yet. He was already dealing with being on a road trip with a friend group who wasn't saying a single word. He and Sokka were taking turns driving, but the darker boy wouldn't speak to him at all. Zuko had never experienced Sokka this quiet before, and it caused an awkward atmosphere to fall over the entire group.

Sure, he should've mentioned where they were going before they had been driving for an hour, but he wasn't about to risk them not coming along. After talking to Katara and seeing how surprisingly well she took it, Zuko was surprised to see Sokka's reaction. He expected him to be the one to joke it off, to brighten up the mood, but there he was, driving the RV, not saying a word.

They had been driving for three hours when Toph finally decided the silence was enough. "I'm already blind, guys. I don't know if you're glaring at each other, but can you use your words? I'm losing it here!"

"Shit, I'm sorry, Toph," Suki said from her seat, a smile on her face, completely forgetting Toph couldn't see it. "Are we excited?"

As he heard the people behind them start to talk, Zuko knew he had to say something to Sokka. They were both sitting in the front in complete silence, and it was driving Zuko crazy.

"Sokka! Can you say something!?" Zuko's voice came out louder and way more high pitched than he planned, and from the silence that fell over the entire RV, he knew everyone had heard him and were eagerly waiting for the younger boy to reply.

"You've listened to me talk about my mother; you watched me cry, you - you're fucking dating my sister." Sokka finally spoke up; his voice was stiff, emotionless. 

"Sokka.."

"No, Zuko. Let me fucking react. You just told me something huge, and now you're trying to force me into just letting it go?" Zuko was trying to read Sokka's expression, but either he was incredibly stupid, or Sokka was colder than he'd ever been.

"I'm happy to come along for you. But, I am going to sit here and process everything until we're there. Happy Sokka can come back once we're out of this RV and out of Appa's stink."

"Hey! Appa doesn't stink!" Aang's voice came out high pitched in defense of his humongous St. Bernard, causing everyone to laugh.

After that, the mood got better, and Zuko managed to convince himself that his friends did not hate him and were all more than willing to come along for him, and he was so thankful.

**_zuko 3:15 pm;_ **

_See you in an hour, Azula. Just breathe._

* * *

Mai sighed as she rang the doorbell. She looked down at her outfit, second-guessing herself. She knew Azula would make some comment about her shoes, but Mai wasn't the one to force herself to wear heels an entire day; she was already tall without any, and Azula was not worth ruining her feet for. 

She had decided to put her hair up in two buns, letting the tips of her hair hang freely, her bangs freshly trimmed. It had been forever since she had done her hair like that; in fact - she stopped doing it once she moved out of her parents, feeling it was a constant reminder of how bored and trapped she had felt. Which is why it worked so perfectly for Azula's birthday. 

"Mai!!" The door flung open, and before she knew it, Ty Lee had wrapped her arms around her, like they hadn't been hanging out two days prior. Just as she was about to greet the younger girl back, Ty Lee grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, where she ended up face to face with Azula. 

"Happy birthday." She said, forcing out the smallest of smiles. She was determined to have a good day and to not let Azula fuck with her too much. As long as she left today with her dignity intact, she'd be okay. She opened her purse to pull out an envelope and handing it to Azula. The smile on the younger girl felt, evil. Like she wanted Mai to suffer, but maybe that was just her personality. 

"Thank you, Mai. Who knows? Maybe I have a surprise for you later as well."

* * *

"I can't do it." Zuko froze as he looked upon the gates in front of him. He'd forgotten what the estate looked like, his only memory of the place being the pain he felt, the pain caused by his own father. He tried to think of his happy memories, but every time he began to think about sitting outside by the fountain with his mother, the memory quickly turned into the sound of melting skin and screams coming from both him and his mother. For a full year, Zuko didn't sleep well. Every time he closed his eyes, he'd feel the pain and see the smile on his father's face, causing him to scream and unintentionally wake up his uncle. 

Zuko struggled to believe his father and uncle were related. Iroh was the most brilliant person Zuko had ever met. He'd always pack him lunch, help him with homework, and insist they sat together and spoke with a cup of tea for at least an hour every day. As a kid, Zuko hated that, but the older he got, the more he enjoyed going over to his uncle just to catch up. He loved listening to him tell him stories he'd overheard at his tea shop, and Zuko could listen to him forever. The love he had for Iroh was the love normal people had for their parents; Zuko wouldn't hesitate to jump in front of a car for his uncle, but maybe that was about more than wanting his uncle alive.

He couldn't breathe. He was trying, but his body had forgotten how to. It was pathetic; he couldn't even do the most essential thing ever. He couldn't breathe. 

"Zuko-" he couldn't figure out who was talking, probably Aang, but it didn't matter. It didn't until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't fucking touch me!" He yelled, his hands forming into fists, ready to punch someone if he had to. He knew he'd have to ring the gate; they needed to go in, but what would he say? 'Hi, I'm Zuko, you know - the emperor's son?" And what would he say to his father? Would he even acknowledge him? Would he hurt him again?

**_** Flashback to 13-year-old Zuko_ **

_Everyone was quiet during dinner. Usually, his father would go on about some victory, telling Azula he couldn't wait for her to feel that power. Did he forget Zuko was his heir? But today, he was quiet. His mother had tried to start some conversation, just for Ozai to snap at her, telling her that keeping her mouth shut was for the best. Azula had a grin on her face as she was eating, something that made Zuko uncomfortable. The food wasn't that good._

_After dinner, Zuko hurried to his room, not liking the atmosphere. As he sat at his desk, he tried to think of what could be going on. Were his parents divorcing?_

_"So, Zuzu.. Did you hear dad found out you've been skipping school to draw by the pond?" Azula stood in the doorway, a grin on her face. "I can't imagine he's happy. Imagine his heir skipping out on his duties to play with crayons. Kinda embarrassing."_

_"They're not crayons, Azula. Plus, I don't need the classes, they're stupid and outdated. Why do I need to learn about our family history, anyway? It's boring."_

_"It's boring, Zuko?" Zuko's heart stopped. He looked up to meet his father's eyes, and he wished he didn't. No words left the young boy's mouth as he just stared at his father. He should've known Azula was setting him up, getting him to confess in front of their father, getting him to insult the emperor to his face._

_The next moments were blurry. He remembered being dragged out of his room into the ballroom where his father had pushed him to the floor, causing Zuko to hit his head. He didn't know if Azula was there; he hoped she wasn't._

_Everything else was blurry, and as he finally managed to stand up, he was met by scolding heat to his face, causing him to scream out in pain as he fell to the ground; the burning didn't stop. Why wouldn't it stop? "Dad.. Please stop!!" Zuko screamed out, and he thought he could hear his mother scream back as well. That was the last thing he remembered before passing out, not sure if he'd ever open his eyes again._

**_** Flashback ended_ **

Before he knew it, he was crying. He knew Toph would probably make some joke about it later, but he didn't care. Feeling someone grab his hand, he was ready to push them off until he realized it was Katara. Sweet Katara. Zuko was so lucky to have her, and he was definitely going to remind her how lucky he was. Turning around to face his friends, his eyes locked with Sokka's, who gave him a small smile.

"Let's do this."

* * *

Squeezing Katara's hand, Zuko stood outside of the door, focusing on his breathing. He didn't know what to expect. How was Azula going to act around him? Or his friends? Were there other people there? Was he opening the door to meet his father's disapproving looks?

"Do you want me to open the door?" Zuko turned around to see Suki step up, pulling her hand around the handle, a small smile on her face. Suki was the bravest one of them, and Zuko was thankful for the brown-haired girl, who seemed to know precisely when he needed her.

As she opened the door, Zuko stepped in before everyone else, not letting go of Katara's hand. Maybe it was to protect them for whatever came next, although he didn't know what it would be.

"Zuko!?!" Ty Lee's voice filled the room, causing Zuko to jump. Loud, sudden sounds weren't his strong suit. Before he managed to react in any other way, her arms were around him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Azula didn't tell me you were coming!" She squealed, too close to Zuko's ear for comfort. She didn't ask about the scar, meaning Azula probably had spent longer than he liked mocking him.

As she pulled away, Zuko followed Ty Lee's eyes, watching her study his friends. "How rude of me!" She exclaimed, shaking her head slightly. "I'm Ty Lee, Azula's friend, and this.." She ran over to a dark clothed figure standing with her back turned to them, looking at her phone. Ty Lee pulled her back to the group. "This is Mai."

Zuko's mouth dropped, but he closed it quickly, hoping no one was looking at him. In front of him, looking directly at him, was the one good memory of Caldera City. _Mai._ He hadn't noticed, but the moment Mai stood in front of him, he had let go of Katara's hand, and he was standing there like some question mark.

"Uh, hi." 

* * *

After Mai got there, she had spent a solid two hours being bossed around by Azula, helping her decorate. She didn't understand why Azula asked her and not Ty Lee - but there she was, lighting yet another candle. Why Azula needed that many candles lit she didn't understand, but Mai lit them regardless. She wasn't the biggest fan of candles. It had started with Azula's retelling of the story of how Zuko left. She wasn't sure if she believed the younger girl; she didn't even know if she had been there, but ever since, Mai found herself tensing up just a little every time she was near flames, thinking about the boy.

She felt gross. Her palms were sweaty, and she needed a break. Deciding to find Ty Lee, Mai grabbed her phone, looking for somewhere with a good enough signal for her to connect to the outside world. She was planning on sending TomTom a small text, making sure he was okay and that he was behaving, just in case her parents asked. Running to the washroom, Mai cleaned her hands, looking at her palms as she dried them off. _Maybe she should let Ty Lee drag her to see a palm reader. It could be fun._

She had found Ty Lee in the hallway, in front of the door. As of right now, the only people there, not including the servants, were her, Mai and Azula, so Mai had no idea who she could be waiting for. Azula's parents were expected back later, and Azula strictly told them they wouldn't be eating before her parents were around. Letting out a sigh, Mai leaned against the wall as she put an earbud in, deciding to take this moment to zone out and relax for the first time that day. 

**_mai 🔪; 5:45 pm:_ **

_you good? what are you doing?_

The signal in the hallway was good enough for her texts to finally send.

**_little bro 🦕; 5:50 pm:_ **

_So good! :) Eating ice cream. Love you, Mai_

Mai grinned at her phone, looking at her brother's message. He had chosen the emoji behind his name himself, and when Mai had asked why he chose it, he had gone on a rant about dinosaurs. _Sigh, she loved him so much._

As she decided to take out her earbuds, she could hear Ty Lee talking to someone. She figured it was just a servant as the girl had a need to befriend everyone, and if it had been Azula, Mai would not be standing by herself right now. Before she was able to process what was happening, she was standing right in front of a group of people, looking directly into the eyes of the boy she still thought about every day.

_Zuko._

Mai felt her body tense up, and her heart was about to burst out of her chest. What was he doing here? Had Azula invited him? She didn't know what to think or react. It took her a moment before she realized he was staring back, and she didn't know how long they had been staring, but she knew it would end up being awkward for everyone else if they didn't say something.

Deciding on a slight bow, Mai figured the best way to treat him was the way she remembered him. The heir to the empire. The heir to the empire who made her feel like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Hi, Zuko." She got out, remembering how annoyed he'd get when they were kids, and she called him sir. "We weren't informed you were coming." and that's when it hit her.

This had been Azula's plan all along


	4. azula's plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zuko and mai are both taken back by being reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !! this is just a filler chapter before the next chapter which is going to be a bigger one <33 !!

Mai couldn't believe Zuko was back. It had been nine years since she had seen his face - his unscarred face. The Zuko in front of her now was different; his hair was shorter, not in the ponytail she had gotten used to when they were kids. His facial structure was sharper, and then there was the scar. Mai didn't want to address it, but it was staring her in the face. It looked both worse and better than Azula had described, and that was after nine years; she couldn't even phantom how it must've looked back then.

She hadn't even bothered to look at the people standing next to him; she was too taken aback by the boy she had once spent every waken moment daydreaming about. Zuko seemed like a completely different person, but looking into his eyes, Mai saw the thirteen-year-old who had left, taking her heart with him.

Mai finally realized he was still looking at her, which caused her entire face to flush red. She was embarrassed, she wasn't the one to show any sign of emotion, yet she was blushing in front of a ton of strangers and her friend's brother. Looking away, Mai was trying to figure out what to say, unaware both Zuko and she had been quiet for a solid five minutes.

* * *

"Zuzu, if you stare at her any longer, you're going to start drooling," Azula said from the corner of the room, a smirk on her face.

Zuko snapped out of his blank stare, eyes focusing on his sister. "Azula." He said, watching her walk over. He didn't know what he expected, but her arms around him were not one of them. "I missed you," she said, and for the first time, Zuko believed her? Her voice seemed soft, genuine. But of course, it wouldn't last. 

"Mai, this is Zuko's girlfriend. Katara, right?" His sister raised her eyebrow towards the girl standing next to Zuko. His friends hadn't said anything yet, only watching what was happening around them. He wondered if they realized his sister was crazy or if them, like him, had been staring at Mai.

Zuko decided to speak up, coughing first to make sure his voice didn't come out high pitched. Introducing his friends one by one, he could tell Azula didn't care. He still didn't know why they were there, but he assumed he'd figure out soon enough. Every once in awhile, he'd glance back at Mai, still shocked she was there, still stuck in his sister's claws.  
"Let's go to the TV room, Zuzu!" Azula said, grabbing her brother's hand and running off, causing him to look back at his friends and shrug, seeing Ty Lee telling them to follow her. 

Zuko sat down on the couch, pulling Katara down into his lap to make sure she was sitting with him and not Azula. Luckily, Sokka sat down next to him, causing the scarred boy to let out a sigh of relief. Watching as Azula and her minions sat opposite him, he noticed Mai still wasn't looking at him. It hurt. He was excited to see her, yet she seemed repelled by him. He knew his scar was off-putting, but even to her? He didn't see it coming.

"Well, mother and father will be back soon, but until then, feel free to explore," Azula said with a grin, knowing the trouble they'd get in if she wanted them to. "Just don't go into their bedroom; you'll end up like Zuzu." The smile on her face was nothing but evil, and it sent shivers down Zuko's spine. He hadn't told his friends how he got the scar, and he'd be damned if Azula was the one to say to them.


	5. tales of azula's birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> basically a chapter in the same style as tales of ba sing se for the fun of it. aang, katara and zuko go exploring, sokka makes new friends, azula stirs shit up, ty lee's expectations are too high and mai confronts the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ,, thank you thank you thank you to my everything for helping me out with this chapter and for writing azula, ty lee and katara's part<33
> 
> i love you to yue n back

_**The Tale of** Aang_

* * *

Aang was bored. His legs were both asleep, and Sokka practically sitting on top of him was not a good feeling. If he was honest, he had no idea what was happening around him. Ever since they walked into the emperor's house, he'd been looking around, not caring about the conversation but merely admiring how cold the place was. There was practically nothing that said this was a loving home, considering Zuko; he had doubts. 

He needed to get up, to run or something. Sitting still was the worst thing he knew. Not only had he spent way too long in an RV with people who wouldn't talk, but he also found himself in the middle of what seemed to be sibling rivalry? He wasn't sure, but he wanted to know everything. It wouldn't be the first time he had been a bit too nosy; that's how he found out about Katara and Zuko, sadly. Being too invasive, as always.

  
  


**_** Flashback to two summers ago_ **

_ The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Katara never hung out with Zuko by herself. Sokka was always there, or Suki, or anyone. He had known them both since he was twelve, and never once had they hung out alone. But this time, Sokka just shrugged when Aang had asked where Katara was, "Probably with Zuko somewhere," he had said so casually, and Aang froze. It's not like he was dating Katara or ever made a move on her, but he always kind of thought it would be the two of them? It was silly, but any time he thought about his future, and who he wanted to spend it with, or if Sokka asked him if he had any girls he thought were cute, he'd always think of Katara. That's when he should've stopped; Sokka was probably right. He didn't have to figure it out. Except he did. Damn him and his need to know everything.  _

_ As they were all hanging out at Zuko's uncle's tea shop one day as Zuko was working, Aang could not take his eyes off Katara. She looked so pretty there she sat, watching Zuko work. Sure, it sucked that she was staring at his best friend, but what could you do? He knew Sokka knew about his crush, and by the looks of it, so did Suki. As much as he loved the older boy, Sokka could not keep a secret to save his life. _

_ After a while, Katara got up, telling the group she had to take a phone call, even though her phone was not ringing, and Aang raised an eyebrow, his eyes following her as she went behind the counter and into the storage room.  _

_ "I'm going to go pee." Aang said as he stood up, Sokka shooting him a look that said, 'you're going to get upset.' but Aang didn't care to listen; he wished he did.  _

_ Getting stuck talking to Iroh for a moment, Aang watched the storage door and realized he had not seen Zuko since Katara went back there, something that made his heart drop. Telling Iroh the same pee lie, he managed to get away, opening the storage door with a little more force than planned.  _

_ "Uh - oh, this is not the bathroom." Aang managed to get out as he tried to process what he was looking at. His crush was sitting on his best friend's lap, her tongue down his throat. "Well, this is awkward," he said with a chuckle before running out of there. _

_ Sitting back down next to Toph, he decided to pout for the rest of the time, keeping his mouth shut. God, he hated being nosy. _

**_** End of flashback_ **

  
  


As Azula told them they could walk around freely, Aang looked at it as an opportunity to get away from Zuko and Katara. After two years, he was used to it, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it. At all. 

Jumping up from the couch, Aang slipped away while everyone else was looking around the room. The boy knew he probably shouldn't have been walking around by himself, but what was life without a little risk. He noticed the lack of Zuko in the family portraits and frowned. What could Zuko possibly have done to be cast away from his family? 

After walking around for a while, Aang stumbled upon a portrait of the entire family, including Zuko. He let out a gasp, studying it. He looked so... weird? Without his scar, Aang almost didn't recognize him. He could tell it was Zuko, he hadn't changed that much, but it felt like a different version of Zuko. A version of Zuko who didn't flinch whenever someone raised their hand around him, a Zuko who didn't jump every time someone raised their voice. A happy Zuko, perhaps? Aang had to know what happened to him. He needed to understand what caused Zuko to turn into the gloomy mess he was now; as much as Aang loved that version of him, he was nosy after all.

* * *

_**The Tales of Katara** _

* * *

“I want to take a look around.”  
Those were only words Katara had managed to mutter out to her boyfriend as her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, getting her out of the room before he even had a chance to react, probably for the better. As she ventured through the rooms, not paying attention to much unless it was a way to the outside, Katara couldn’t help but think it would be hell to find her way back in such a place, one she had never been to before and especially on her own, but at the thought of everything that unfolded just moments prior, maybe not finding her way back would be a good thing, for now.

Even if it had been her choice to go apart, her thoughts kept circling back to Zuko. She didn’t like what that place did to him. Still, at the same time, she couldn’t really blame him – Katara knew little to nothing about who he was before Sokka dragged him into their lives. Still, she was observant of how he would fumble over his words whenever he was asked about his family outside of Iroh, the pensive look he wore whenever embarrassing childhood stories were thrown around in conversation with their friends and how tense his uncle would get whenever he’d mention Zuko had received a call from his sister that he needed to return. Katara always figured the conversation would come up eventually but never imagined she’d be experiencing it before he gave her any sort of context behind it.  
Four more steps, Katara was finally outside. Everything inside the palace seemed so polished and unwelcoming; the pond she had stumbled across seemed almost out of place. For the first time since she got there, Katara allowed herself to take everything in — the breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees, the bright blue sky that mirrored down the clear water of the pond, and the turtleducks that splashed through, seemingly curious of her as they approached the shore. 

She could breathe again, even if it was only for a moment.  
“Katara.” The tone was enthusiastic; it was hard for Katara to buy it, even as a stranger, “Don’t tell me Zuzu left you to wander on your own.”  
That nickname, under normal circumstances, the girl would’ve burst into laughter. It was hard to think of Zuko answering to that, the same guy who would shove her brother every time he tried to come up with abbreviations to his name in hopes to find a nickname, nine out of ten times always seemed to find something that rhymed with yuck, but by the way Zuko’s sister smiled at her, Katara could already tell she was the type of person who was used to getting her way, even amongst the horrible nicknames branch. 

  
“I can fend for myself,” her tone was friendly but careful; she didn’t want Azula as an enemy; she knew that much. “Your home is – lovely.” Katara had never been a skilled liar, but she hoped it was enough for the younger girl to buy it and even hopefully leave her alone.  
Naive.  
Azula dismissed her compliment with the wave of a hand; being the emperor’s daughter, she was used to all sorts of sweet talk in her ear; but that’s not what she wanted her brother’s new girlfriend for. “I’m so happy you found it; this was Zuzu’s favorite spot. He’d spend hours on end here with Mai.” Azula spoke that name like a dirty word as if she mentioned something she shouldn’t have, but with someone as calculated as her, Katara knew that was hardly or ever the case. “But I’m sure you know all about that, being together, the ex’s talk was bound to come up, I’m sure his was rather short — only being Mai and all. For Zuko, there was only ever Mai.” Azula paused, a prominent smile on her face. “But I wouldn’t worry much if I were you; I’m sure that look on my brother’s face was just surprise and none of those unresolved first love feelings, of course. What a cliché, right?”

Azula didn’t mind being obvious as long as she got her point across, and by the glimpse into the blue-eyed girl’s eyes, it was easy to say her plan had been successful. One of the many she had set out for the evening, “Nice talk, Katara. We should do this more often.”

Being past the point of keeping appearances, she struggled to even acknowledge Azula as she ventured back into the palace; even Zuko’s childhood ivory tower seemed safer than allowing the conversation to carry on any further. Katara was well aware of the birthday girl’s intentions the minute she swooped her into a conversation, and even then, she had managed to be successful. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was because maybe, just maybe, there was some truth behind it.  
“You’re being foolish.”  
Katara scolded herself, blaming the insecurity that felt so unlike her, especially when it came to her relationship, on the abrupt rush of news and unwelcoming surroundings. Yeah, that had to be it. But she couldn’t help but wonder if her second-guessing was all Azula’s doing; why did he let go of her hand?

* * *

**_The Tale of Sokka_ **

* * *

Sokka had so many questions. When they walked into the palace, he promised himself he'd behave and not bring up his mother. He knew Zuko counted on him to be there for him, and Sokka wasn't about to make a big deal out of something that couldn't be reversed. But as they got inside, he had completely forgotten about it and was trying his best to keep up with the things happening around him. Who was Mai, and why did Zuko seem so distressed seeing her? What did his sister mean when she said they'd end up like Zuko? How the fuck was Zuko, The Emperor's son? The Zuko Sokka had met at twelve was nothing like he had imagined Emperor Ozai's heir to be. He felt as if something was missing; he had only scratched the surface of his best friend of nine years. It felt weird.

Looking over at Suki, a smile grew on his face as he watched her and Toph talk about whatever. "I'm going to step outside." He said, leaning over to kiss his girlfriend's head. He didn't know who Zuko was, and it broke him. Sokka knew he had a tendency to share a little too much information with everyone he met but to not know Zuko at all? It made him feel dizzy, and the room felt way too small and way too crowded for him to be there right now.

As he stepped outside, Sokka was still amazed by the property. He couldn't believe people actually lived like this, without a single worry. Sitting down on the steps, he sighed to himself as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, pulling one out. It made him think back at his own childhood, how much they had struggled, how Sokka had to help around from such a young age and never had the time to be a child himself.  _ Funny how things worked out. _ Placing the cigarette between his lips, he quickly lit it, not sure if he should be smoking at the Emperor's steps, but he didn't care. He would care a lot if someone caught him, but he needed a break.

"Sokka, right?" 

The boy looked up to be met by a pair of huge eyes looking down at him. "Ty Lee?" He asked, remembering her from the hug she had given him earlier. "Want a cigarette?" he added, smiling at her as she sat down next to him. Shaking her head, Sokka looked around as he put the pack back in his pocket. He wasn't usually this awkward, but he didn't know what to say. The girl next to him probably knew Zuko better than he did; who was he to call himself his best friend? 

"How long have you known Zuko?" Great, now he had to tell her he didn't know Zuko at all. 

"Nine years? Kinda forced myself on him when he came to my school. He looked lonely, I was lonely, so it worked out well. Or, once I got him to talk to me, it did." the grin was apparent on his face. Sokka couldn't help but smile whenever he spoke about Zuko; he felt like family to the boy, and even if he was confused right now, that wouldn't change. Looking over at Ty Lee, he noticed the grin on her face as well; clearly, Zuko must've meant something to her as well.

"Zuko's always been a loner." She said, her small fading slightly. "He'd always be with their mother; Azula practically had to force him to play with us. Even then, he barely did. Only if Mai was there."

_ Okay, Mai... Childhood friend?? Childhood crush?? _

"It got a lot more boring after he left, Azula loved teasing him, and according to her, he's more fun to tease than Mai." She sighed, looking down at her dress. Sokka chuckled to himself; he'd never seen a dress like that, and if he had, he most likely would've made fun of it.

"She means well, you know? Inviting you guys here. She feels guilty for not standing up to her father when he sent Zuko away, but she was also a kid. She just wants to be a part of Zuko's life, and according to her uncle, you're all a big part of it. She doesn't have any ulterior motives other than trying to bring her family back together." Sokka bit his lower lip as his eyes met hers. She seemed so kind, the opposite of the two others. But then again, he hadn't spoken to them. 

Sokka nodded before standing up, letting out a slight yawn as he, too, was tired from the drive. "I should get back inside, make sure Suki's okay. I left her alone at a place she's never been with a blind girl; seems like a recipe for getting lost." He cracked a smile at the girl before letting the cigarette stump fall to the ground, stepping on it lightly. He didn't know if he believed everything she said, he didn't know if she was right to trust Azula, but it wasn't his place to say anything.

Throwing himself on the couch, Sokka pulled Suki into his lap, kissing all over her face. "If you have a secret life where you're the heir to something crazy, you'd tell me, right? I can only handle one of my favorite people dropping this bomb on me. At this point, I'm expecting Katara to tell me she's pregnant." he could tell Suki was worried about him, but she didn't have to be. The moment he stopped cracking jokes in the moment of panic? That's when she needed to worry.

* * *

_**The Tale of Ty Lee** _

* * *

Ty Lee practically skipped through the halls in her search for Azula, peeking her head over every room she could possibly find her in and so far, to no success. She was rarely if ever a worrier, but the tension that unfolded earlier was too prominent for her to ignore; maybe it had been foolish to assume Zuko being back would be just like he never left, but so far it seemed like she was the only enthusiastic one over the fact he had made it. Her chat with Sokka had eased her mind, though. No matter how difficult things could get, at least Zuko’s friends were bound to know the hostesses’ heart was in the right place. Ty Lee was sure of it.  
She noticed what no one else did. The way the smile didn’t reach her eyes whenever she spoke about Zuko and the incident, even when she joked. The fidgeting that only started days before her father came back after a long trip, and the exhaustion she noticed on the young girl’s face for the days after. If Ty Lee looked long enough, she could almost watch the facade crumble, even if it was only for a couple of seconds.  
That’s why she was so determined for this birthday to be fun; maybe it was foolish. It wasn’t like Ty Lee was the biggest fan of birthdays, partially due to the fact her own day usually had to be shared and overshadowed by her sisters, but maybe it was just what Azula needed.  
It was hard to miss the two girls chatting near the pond or partaking in a one sided conversation – but that’s usually how it went with Azula, a good part of the time. It was hard for her to make out what was being said, but Ty Lee didn’t want to risk interrupting what from the outside looked like Azula making an effort, with Zuko’s girlfriend nonetheless from what she had gathered.  
The moment was over before she knew it, nervous as the blue-eyed girl headed in her direction on her way back inside. Caught. Ty Lee waved nervously, but Katara didn’t even seem to notice her – she seemed preoccupied, and the culprit remained by the pond, with a triumphant smile who waved over at her to approach.  
“There you are; you don’t happen to know where Mai is by any chance, do you?”  
Ty Lee shook her head no, a small frown on her face at the realization, “She knew he was coming, right? You checked with her first.” Mai had never been one to be open about her feelings, but it was apparent for everyone to realize Zuko was a sensitive topic. Her heart sinking with blame as she realized how quick she was to introduce the surprise to her poor friend, who was probably as oblivious to it as she was.  
“Don’t be dumb, Ty. That would’ve taken away all of the fun. Did you not see the look on their faces? It took one look at Mai for him to forget he even had a girlfriend.” Laughter. Azula was enjoying this, at the expense of her brother. His friends. And her best friend. “If everything goes my way, this is going to be my best birthday yet.”  
Her face fell, followed by what felt like a punch in the stomach. This was all part of an elaborate plan she had orchestrated and so far, doing so successfully. And Ty Lee had helped her, if anything – unknowingly, but still. She wanted to yell, cry and get as far away from Azula as possible, but as upset as she was, she knew better than to do any of the first two in front of the emperor’s daughter, so she opted for the latter, “I’ll look for Mai, she can’t be that far off.” She smiled to the best of her ability, nodding once and leaving before Azula could mutter another word. Had she not known better, Ty Lee could’ve sworn she noticed a hint of worry in her eyes before she walked away. 

Maybe she was as clueless as people often thought of her to be.

* * *

_**The tale of Mai** _

* * *

Watching one by one walk out of the room, she was surprised at how comfortable they all seemed to be walking around the palace unsupervised.  _ Oh, well. Their mistake. _ Most of them had never even set foot inside of a high-end store, let alone a court; she couldn't exactly blame them for not knowing the etiquette, although she had expected Zuko to teach them some before they came. As both Ty Lee and Azula walked out, Mai panicked. She wasn't alone with Zuko as two girls she didn't care to learn the names of were there, but if they walked out, she would be, and it was the last thing she wanted. 

Her eyes met Zuko's, and she bolted out of there. She needed time to process everything. Not only did Zuko suddenly come back into her life, but he had brought his girlfriend and a ton of other people Mai was not comfortable with. She was overwhelmed and uncomfortable, just like Azula wanted her to be. She wondered what the younger girl had told her brother. Did she mention how Mai still blushed every time they said Zuko's name? Or how she'd been wearing the necklace he gave her every day for the past nine years? Mai wanted to disappear. She thought about seeing Zuko again; of course, she did. But not like this; in fact, this was probably the worst-case scenario.

**_**Flashback to 12-year-old Mai_ **

_ It had been a week since the last time she was at the palace. She had been avoiding it if she was honest. She had heard her parents talk about the Emperor's son misbehaving, and it would have consequences. In fact, they told her that what happened to Zuko was what happened to kids who didn't behave. She didn't even know what had happened to him.  _

_ As she finally went over to the palace again, something felt off. She didn't want to sound like Ty Lee, but the aura felt bleak. Mai could tell by the grin on Azula's face as she asked if she wanted to know what happened to Zuko that it wouldn't be pleasant.  _

_ "And then father dragged him out of the room, he was screaming, it was pathetic!" a laugh followed; she was enjoying it. "And he dragged him to the ballroom floor, and now mother was screaming as well! I could see the ski -" Mai's hands flew up, putting her fingers in her ear, refusing to listen. She had to be lying. The Emperor wouldn't hurt his son like that; he wouldn't hurt the heir to his throne. Azula was just telling a story like she always did. Everything was a story, a glorified lie. _

_ Azula always lies.  _

_ She expected her to go back on it later, to see Zuko come out by the fountain to feed the turtleducks, no scar, still at the palace. But he never did. _

_ That night Mai cried. She didn't cry a lot; she knew her parents would've yelled at her if they saw her like that, weak, struggling to keep the sobs in. She cried, knowing she was never to be out of line again.  _

_ Every time she went to the palace, she'd look for Zuko. Expecting him to be hiding behind a curtain or something, but he was gone. _

_ Her favorite thing about the palace was gone. _

**_** End of flashback_ **

  
Mai made it to the ballroom, looking around at the art. She wondered if the Emperor and his wife knew their son was here. For Zuko's sake, she hoped that was the case. She was scared of the outcome of the dinner, knowing Azula was excited. " _ Zuko must be terrified,"  _ she whispered, followed by a sigh.  _ She hoped his friends knew what they had walked into and that she was ready to defend Zuko even if it got her in trouble. _

* * *

_**The Tale of Zuko** _

* * *

His entire body was shaking. Replaying what Azula had said just moments earlier.  _ Well, mother and father will be back soon, but until then, feel free to explore.  _ He didn't know why he didn't expect his father to show, but hearing Azula say he'd be there soon made him feel lightheaded and weak. Snapping out of it as Katara told him she would have a look around, Zuko flashed her a smile before directing his attention to his fingers. His father wouldn't do anything in front of his friends, not even he was that dumb. Maybe it was a good thing that they were all there. It gave him the chance to see his father again without being afraid of getting a matching scar over his other eye. Feeling Sokka's hand on his shoulder, Zuko was met by a comforting smile as he walked out. 

Zuko thought he, Suki, and Toph were the only ones left in the room, and as he was about to speak up, cracking some joke with the two girls, he was surprised to look up just for his eyes to meet Mai's. She looked horrified once again, and Zuko's heart dropped as she ran out of the room.  _ She found him horrifying. _ He expected it. Mai had never seen his scar before; she only knew him as the thirteen-year-old innocent boy he'd been before he left. The version of himself he couldn't even remember.

Forcing himself up from the couch, Zuko made his way towards his childhood bedroom. He thought about turning around, scared his parents had made it into their junk room, proving he didn't matter to them, but he needed to know. The halls were filled with photos, mostly of Azula, growing more and more every frame. He remembered how excited he was to have a little sister, to finally have a best friend to play with whenever they wanted to. How he wished it stayed that way. He wasn't sure what he saw when he looked at Azula anymore, a part of him told him that no matter what, she's his sister and that's all that matters, but the other part remembered every time she had gone out of her way to make him uncomfortable or feel less than. And, well, of course, the time she had set him up to be caught by their father, which is how he ended up with the scar.

His fingers wrapped around the door handle, and he froze. He wasn't ready to be disappointed; he wasn't prepared to see the life he could've had. Should've had.

Pushing the door open, Zuko kept his eyes closed. If he wanted to, he could simply close the door again and move on with his life, never knowing what became of his room. _ No, he needed to know. _

Opening his eyes, Zuko let out a sigh of relief. Everything was exactly the same way it had been nine years ago. Everything was just how he remembered it to be. Walking in, he smiled to himself, the memories flooding back. Practically running over to his desk, he let out a laugh as he found one of the billion plays he used to write and force Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai to act out with him. Everything was so easy back then. His biggest problem was figuring out how he could spend time with Mai without Azula and Ty Lee telling them to kiss every second. He didn't ever want her to think he only wanted to kiss her because they told him to.

Letting go of the paper, Zuko made it over to his bed, looking at the sheets. They were dusty and looked like they were about to mold any second.  _ Gross _ , Zuko thought to himself before noticing something he hadn't thought about in years. His cousin, Lu Ten, had gotten him a stuffed animal the day he was born as a present. Zuko cherished the plush turtleduck more than any other possession, and he would bring it with him anywhere he went. That was until father decided he was too old for plushies, and it would look offensive for Zuko to carry it around; people might perceive him as something he's not. The trutleduck smelled disgusting, but Zuko didn't care as he hugged it tighter than he'd ever hugged anything before. If he could go back in time, he would. He wouldn't have said anything, he would've kept his mouth shut, and his mother would've tucked him into bed, and he would've hugged the turtleduck as he fell asleep. He loved the trutleduck so much, especially after Lu Ten passed. Whenever Azula was worse than usual, Zuko would run to him, and he'd quickly get his mind onto something else. He'd also been the one to teach Zuko how to swordfight. He found himself wondering if moving in with Uncle would've been easier if Lu Ten had still been around to keep him company.

He didn't notice it at first, but he was sobbing. Zuko collapsed on the edge of the bed, holding the turtleduck even tighter, his tears causing it to feel damp. He would do anything to feel the way he had felt the last time he was sparring with his cousin, or the last time he made Mai smile or even the last time Azula hugged him tight and told him she loved him.

Zuko wished he could go back in time to a time where he wasn't broken, where he didn't flinch at sudden movements and loud noises. When he was happy. Getting up from the bed, he felt like he had disrupted someone else's sheets, not his own. Nothing in this room felt like it belonged to him, not anymore, not even the turtleduck. It was a past version of Zuko. One he couldn't remember. He couldn't remember how sparring with Lu Ten felt, or how making Mai smile caused butterflies to appear in his stomach, and no matter how hard and how long he thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time Azula told him she loved him.

* * *

_**The Tale of Azula** _

* * *

Azula noticed.

She never said anything, but she noticed.

She learned how to read people from an early age, which followed how to learn how to use it to her advantage, and it always worked. She learned what ticked Zuko, only to get him to do whatever she wanted as long as she left him alone. She was probably the first to figure out Mai’s feelings for her brother before Mai even figured them out herself, something she would use as blackmail for company. 

Ty Lee had been a little different.

Her friendship with Mai had always made sense to everyone. Still, as their cheerful counterpart always appeared, with the friendlier smile you’ve ever seen and the ability to strike up a conversation with just about anyone, people wondered what someone like her was doing with them – although they knew better than to voice it.

Azula would never admit it to anyone, but she enjoyed all the quirks that came with Ty Lee, even if on the outside she would just respond with a roll of eyes. But she noticed the way she’d always try to one-up her sisters, which half of the time always backfired, and the days where she kept a smile on her face despite the fact she didn’t feel like it. Today was kind of like that, but different.

She couldn’t shake the feeling off, even if today was going exactly like she had planned. To reunite old flames to ignite a fire, or maybe crash and burn. She was careless about the result, but she was glad her brother was back. If only she could get those foolish new friends out of her way, that girlfriend of his, then maybe, just maybe...

But she was getting ahead of herself. 

They had to survive dinner first. 

Azula had always hated that stupid pond, but she had learned to tolerate it with the passing of time. However, it seemed to irritate her today as much as she couldn’t stop picturing the sadness she had been stared at with. Was it pity? Impossible. She was the emperor’s daughter; she had everything she could possibly wish for. Or maybe disappointment. It was a look she was sure her family reserved for her, but she had never seen coming from Ty Lee. She knew the girl knew better than to say anything, and somehow that angered her even more. But no, she wasn’t going to dwell on it.

Not on her day, not with everything she had in motion for the rest of the day.

With a heavy heart but her head held high, she entered the palace determined to raise hell, unaware that she could get burnt just like anyone else if she wasn’t careful enough. Her gaze trailed along the corridors, wondering which of her guests would be first to walk in her way, not thinking for a moment she was about to walk her through into someone else’s path.

_ “Father.” _


	6. the dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keeping up with the royals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh this took me so long i had a few days were writing for this drove me crazy as i couldn't figure out how to write it for the life of me,, its not the best but its the best i can do right now <33

Zuko slowly made his way out of the bedroom, wanting to avoid the others for as long as possible. He knew there would be questions, and Sokka would probably notice he had been crying. It wasn't that he was against Sokka knowing; he just didn't want to deal with it at his sister's birthday party. He didn't know if seeing his room made him feel better or worse, but he knew he needed to talk with his friends and uncle as soon as he was back home; there was no way he'd be able to tell them without Iroh by his side.

"Zuko?"

His head shot up as he heard a voice he'd almost forgotten. A voice he hadn't heard in years as she yelled 'i love you' as he was taken to his uncle. "Mom?" His voice came out weaker than planned, almost sounding like the thirteen-year-old boy who she had parted with. Zuko couldn't move, a part of him longing to run towards his mother and hug her, the other part wanting to run the opposite way and out of the palace. 

"What are you doing here?" her voice had a concerning undertone as she walked towards him, almost as if to check if he was real or a ghost. "Azula invited me. For her birthday party." He said, trying his best not to cry again. "My friends are here, so is my girlfriend." He managed to get out before his mother's hand was on his left cheek. Flinching at the touch, Zuko's first thought was to pull back, but somehow he couldn't. He craved his mother's touch, no matter how badly her finger's touching his scar seemed to bring back the memories of his father. "You look so.." She whispered, and Zuko sighed, knowing what she meant. He had been taken away so quickly after his father's 'accident'; the last time his mother had seen him, he had bandages all over his face. This was the first time she'd seen his scar, and that's when he noticed something.  _ Her face was exactly the same face Mai had made when she saw him _ . The boy's mother looked like she was about to cry, but there were at least ten reasons why Zuko could think of at the top of his head. "You shouldn't be here, Oz - your father doesn't know." Her voice was stern as she looked him directly in the eyes. Zuko simply shook his head, giving her a comforting smile. "I'm here for Azula. She wanted me here. Plus, Father wouldn't do anything in front of my friends. It would make him look bad."

* * *

_ 'Get up from the floor, stupid.' _ Mai groaned as she buried her face in her hands, trying her best not to cry. ' _ I swear, if my eye makeup is running, I'm faking a cold and getting out of here,' _ she thought to herself. She had been in the ballroom just two weeks prior with her parents — some event hosted by the Emperor to celebrate whatever. She hated being around him. The way Ozai spoke to her like she was a little girl who he could snap in two if he wanted to sent shivers down her spine. Yet, she somehow always ended up seated close enough to him for him to keep an eye on her, almost as if he expected her to stand up and cuss him out for sending Zuko away. Mai had tried to tell Azula how uncomfortable it made her, but the younger girl would just shrug it off and tell her she should be lucky she was allowed that close to the Emperor. 

"Mai? Are you okay?" Mai looked up to see Ty Lee standing in front of her; the comforting smile on her face was enough to make the older girl gag. "I'm fine; why wouldn't I be?" She said as she got up from the floor, her face showing no signs of how upset she had been just a few moments ago. Mai could see the concern in Ty Lee's eyes, but she wasn't the one to address it. She loved Ty Lee, but she didn't need to worry as much as she did. Mai was okay; she always was. Sure, her friend had managed to pull her heart out and give it to her brother for him to crush as he looked her in the eyes, but she was okay. "You know.." Ty Lee's voice was soft, like she thought speaking up would wake up a monster or something, "I am not feeling that good, so if you want to leave.." Mai raised her eyebrow at her, a soft smile appearing. The younger girl was willing to leave Azula's birthday to make her feel better; she was crazy. And Mai adored her.

"Ty Lee, we're staying. It's no one's fault, I was just... Taken back by his scar. It's so much worse than I thought it would be. He must've been in so much pain. And then he just left? And I've spent the past nine years thinking about seeing him again, about hugging him, and apologizing for not being there to say goodbye. For it to just happen like this? I don't know what to say to him, or if I can hug him. He's a stranger, and it's hurting more than I'd ever admit to." Mai swallowed the lump in her throat as she grabbed the younger girl's hand. "Let's go make sure Azula doesn't end up killing anyone."

* * *

Being back with Katara, Zuko was sure he was about to break her hand with how tight his grip was. His father hadn't said a word yet, just glaring at him and Azula. Every emotion was running through his body. He wasn't the twenty-two-year-old man who was working in his uncle's tea shop on the weekends and buried himself in books on weekdays, who had the most amazing friends and the prettiest girlfriend. No, he was a thirteen-year-old weakling who tried to seem cool in front of his sister and got himself in trouble, who got himself sent away from the only home he'd ever known. He not only lost most of his sight that day, but he lost his sister and mother. Looking back at it, he never had his father, so at least he didn't lose him.

The only ones eating seemed to be Toph, Sokka, and Aang. He guessed Toph wasn't able to sense the stares, being blind and all. But Aang and Sokka? They were just clueless. He wanted to tell them they were rude, that they shouldn't be eating before the Emperor, but Zuko had a feeling Ozai wouldn't be eating. Amber eyes were piercing into his soul, exposing all his secrets. Zuko knew his father knew he was scared, and he knew Azula knew as well. Everyone seemed to keep their head down, and he felt like the air was being sucked out of the room, along with his will to live.

"Let's eat before the food gets cold." His mother spoke up, sending a soft smile in Zuko's direction, before looking over at her husband, who simply nodded. 

The mood seemed to lighten as everyone ate; even Azula seemed to relax, but Zuko couldn't. He was sitting way too close to the man who gave him the scar on his face and way too far from the girl who made this palace somewhat manageable. He had tried to look over at Mai a few times, only for her to look away, refusing to look at him. He knew she wasn't big on Ozai either, and he wanted to ask if she was okay - if it had gotten better the past nine years.

A loud cough filled the room, and everyone's eyes went to Ozai. Zuko quickly kicked Toph in the shin, signaling she should be looking towards the right as well. His dad wouldn't care if she was blind. He stood up, eyes not leaving Zuko's. He felt vulnerable, just as he did as a kid. His father standing there high and mighty made Zuko feel insignificant, no bigger than the turtleducks in the garden.

"Despite the  _ unpleasant  _ surprise, we are here to celebrate my daughter." he finally took his eyes off Zuko, moving them to his little sister instead. "Azula, you never cease to amaze me. Not a day goes by, where you don't make me feel incredibly proud to be your father. Continue, and you will be Empress someday." He said, lifting his glass as a sign they should as well. "To Azula." Zuko's eyes glanced over at his sister, who seemed.. afraid?

* * *

There was nothing about the dinner that Mai think it had been a good idea. She didn't understand what Azula had been thinking, inviting not only Zuko but his friends who had no idea what they were doing, to a dinner with the Emperor. It wasn't like her to make such a dumb decision, and it wasn't like Mai to speak against her, so she didn't.

"To Azula." Ozai's stare as he looked at his daughter scared Mai. Her family might've been a mess, but at least her father didn't look at her like he was about to murder her if she slipped up. "To Azula," she managed to get out, her eyes landing on Zuko. She wondered what he was thinking about, if he wanted to get out as much as she wanted. Azula always talked about Zuko needing to regain his honor, that there was no way he could lead the country being the coward he was, and that's why their father had sent him away. Mai wasn't stupid; neither was Zuko. She knew he knew as well as her that statement as vague, Zuko could spend his whole life trying to figure out what to do to regain it, but it would never be enough. Zuko would never be accepted by Ozai, and Mai had doubts he ever was. 

It didn't take long for Ozai and Ursa to stand up once again and leave. Mai was surprised but figured he was probably taking her somewhere to yell. Blaming her for Zuko's appearance. Her stomach dropped; she wasn't hungry. There was no way it would stay this awkward without him here, right?

She was wrong. Somehow, Ozai leaving made the atmosphere even weirder, and if someone didn't speak up soon, she'd make a comment she would regret.

"Lovely food!" Ty Lee squealed, her voice coming out less confident than planned. No one said anything, and Mai could tell how disappointed her best friend was by that. 

She stayed quiet; it was what she did best. She'd occasionally make eye contact with Zuko before looking away. It felt wrong. There was no reason looking at the boy she had once loved would feel that wrong, but it did.

"Since it's my birthday, and Zuzu here, I think we should tell stories from our childhood! Help his friends understand who he truly is." Azula spoke up, a smug grin on her face. "Mai, why don't you start by telling your favorite story about him."

It wasn't a question. She was demanding it. Mai felt sick like she was about to blow up any second. She couldn't be there any longer. She couldn't sit in a room with Azula and Zuko and pretend everything was okay. She couldn't pretend any longer. "Oh, fuck you, Azula," Mai spoke up as she ran out of the room, not caring about how dramatic she was being. If her parents found out, she'd be punished in some way, but she didn't care; she couldn't stay. 

"Ugh, Azula!" She heard Ty Lee groan, a surprise to Mai. She never expected Ty Lee to stand up to their friend, but especially not for Mai. Sliding down the wall in the hallway, Mai stared straight ahead, trying to compose herself. 

"Are you okay?" A dark voice said, to Mai's surprise. If anyone was going to follow her, it would've been Ty Lee, right? Looking up, she was met by the golden eyes she had been avoiding.

_ "Zuko." _


	7. memories of turtleducks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this update is so late im so so sorry about that <33 i wasn't sure how to move locations and make an okay transition so here's that

Zuko didn't know what made him go after Mai in the first place. Maybe it was all the times she had gone after him as a kid when Azula was cold-hearted, but he knew he couldn't let her sit there by herself.

"Are you okay?"

His voice came out soft, not wanting to scare her. He had been meaning to ask why she was avoiding him, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like Azula hadn't told her he'd be there. It pissed him off. Mai and he used to be best friends, but now they were strangers. Two strangers in the hallway of the house they had spent every day at as kids.

"Zuko?"

Her voice was filled with an emotion Zuko had never heard from her before. She seemed weak, almost scared? He hated the power Azula had over her, a power she used to have over him as well, but that he managed to get away from when he moved. Mai hadn't.

Sliding down the wall, Zuko sat down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You know, I used to pray every morning you'd come over that day just so I didn't have to deal with Azula by myself."

Mai looked at him with watery eyes, forcing herself to smile at him. 

"It was just easier. At least she wasn't only bullying me? She was bullying you as well, and I know that doesn't sound good, but it helped me get through the day."

"Like the fountain incident?" Mai's face seemed to light up, which took Zuko by surprise. He didn't think she'd remember that, as he had worked so hard on erasing the embarrassment from his memory.

  
  


_ "Mom! Can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game!" Azula's smile was innocent as she looked up at her mother, who was holding Zuko's hand. _

_ "I'm not cart-wheeling." Zuko snapped at her, rolling his eyes. _

_ "You won't have to; cart-wheeling's not a game." _

_ "I don't care! I'm not playing with you!" _

_ "We are brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together! Don't you think so, Mom?" Zuko wanted to run away right there. He knew Azula had some ulterior motive, even then, but he knew his mother would force him to play with her, just like she always did. _

_ At least Mai was there. Zuko enjoyed Mai's company. She was nice to him, and unlike Ty Lee, she wasn't as obsessed with making Azula happy, something he liked a lot. It felt nice to not be the only one annoyed with Azula's games. He didn't talk to Mai a lot, mostly because Azula would drag her with her before they'd even said hi, but he enjoyed playing with Azula way more when Mai was there, and she was. _

_ As his mother practically pushed him over to where the girls were standing, Zuko immediately regretted his decision. He should've just sprinted the other way, hid behind a curtain until dinner time away from Azula and her shenanigans.  _

_ "Here's the way it goes," Azula said as she placed an apple on Mai's head. "Now what you do is, try to knock the apple off the other person's head, like this." She pulled out some matches she had stolen from her mother and lit the stem of the apple on fire.  _

_ Zuko didn't know how to react. On one hand, he wanted to run off, not wanting to be a part of Azula's games; on the other - Mai's hair would burn. Without thinking much about it, Zuko ran forward, ignoring the scream leaving Mai's mouth as he slammed into her, and both of them fell into the fountain, Zuko on top of her.  _

  
  


_ He wanted to disappear right there; of course, Azula planned to embarrass him like that. "See, I told you it would work!" Zuko looked up to see Azula giggling into Ty Lee's ear. "Aww, they're so cute together!" Ty Lee added, giggling just as much. Zuko was furious; this was exactly why he didn't want to play with Azula. Getting up, he was soaking wet; how was he supposed to explain this to his mother?  _

_ "You two are such ... ugh!", in the midst of his anger, Zuko had completely forgotten about Mai until she spoke up, clearly distressed by the situation as well. He thought about dragging her with him to dry off, but he knew he wouldn't hear the last of it from his sister if he did, so he stormed off, only to be met by his mother.  _

_ "You're soaking wet?" There was evident confusion in her voice; she had left Zuko there for merely 10 minutes, maybe less, yet he managed to be angry and wet. Just his luck. _

_ Zuko shook his head at her, raising his hands in frustration. "Girls are crazy!!" _

"Yeah, couldn't let your hair burn." He chuckled as he gave her a comforting smile. He didn't know if he had to apologize for being gone like he did it on purpose. It wasn't like he one day decided to leave everyone behind. He didn't have a choice. Whenever he had brought up Mai to Azula, she'd brush it off or come with some snarky comment about how Zuko would love to know.

"My parents were not happy about me coming home soaking wet. Didn't hear the end of it for two days... How dared I embarrass myself like that in Emperor Ozai's garden?"

"But you came back."

"Well, I had to make sure she didn't push you around."

He hadn't realized how badly he missed Mai until they were back, sitting together in the hallways of the palace like they had done a thousand times as kids. It felt natural, and for the first time since arriving at the palace, he was at peace, not worrying about his father, merely enjoying a moment with an old friend.

  
  


* * *

Mai got up from the floor, giving Zuko her hand to help him up. After ignoring him all night, it was the least she could do.

"I'm dreading finding everyone a place to stay tonight; it's not like we can stay here," Zuko said as they walked towards the others again, and Mai saw her opening. Helping a friend out and getting away from Azula.

"My parents are out of town for the week. It's just my brother and people working. There's plenty of room if you want to stay a few days?"

Her question seemed to make Zuko light up, and before she could protest, he gave her a slight hug, something he must've picked up from his new friends.

"Ew! Okay! I get it." Mai protested, trying to get out of the hug (but not trying too hard). "I take that as a yes?"

"You are a lifesaver, Mai. You know that?" Zuko grinned before running back over to his girlfriend and friends, who seemed incredibly confused.

Watching Katara and Zuko, she didn't feel jealous, so to say, she wasn't dumb. She knew there was no way Zuko was sitting around hoping for her back after nine years, and they were a cute couple. Mai hadn't spoken much to Katara, but she seemed nice, and Ty Lee seemed interested in her, which from experience was a good thing. But a part of her couldn't shake the feeling that it should've been  _ her. _ She should've been there for him when he got sent to Iroh. She should've done something different just to make sure he was okay.

"Are you okay?"

Ty lee wrapped her arms around Mai from behind, which made her flinch. Two hugs within minutes of each other was not Mai's style at all. Pushing the younger girl away, she simply nodded before turning her eyes towards Azula.

"We're sleeping at my place tonight, Ty."

"Is Azula invited?"

Mai looked at the girl and felt a pit in her stomach. Azula looked,, sad? Mai had never seen Azula show any sign of sadness, but instead of the normal anger in her eyes, Mai could swear she saw tears. There was something Azula was trying to do but clearly failing at, and Mai didn't know what it was. She wanted to understand her so bad, but any time she got close to knowing what went on in the younger girl's mind, she was met by a four hundred-foot brick wall that only Ty Lee seemed to be able to break through every other full moon.

Even after being her friend for most of her life, Mai did not understand Azula. Between her lies and manipulation, she had good intentions but the worst execution of them, and it drove her crazy. There were multiple times she had thought about leaving and never speaking to Azula again. Remove the negativity that came with being her friend and try to be happy, but in reality, she didn't know anything other than being Azula's friend. It was safe, it made her parents happy, and Ty Lee wouldn't be alone with her.

"Azula can come." 

Mai walked over to where Zuko and his friends were to give them a small nod as if to say, 'if you don't come now, I will change my mind.' before walking over to Azula, giving her her hand. "Sleepover at my place? I promise I'll eat Mochi with you this time." Ty Lee seemed excited at the thought that Mai had remembered the time she had stolen Mochi from her mother, only to feel bad and refuse to eat them, which had made Ty Lee think there was something wrong with them, and they had spent the night watching Azula eat in front of them. She'd give Azula that much; she worked great under pressure.

Azula didn't take Mai's hand, but she got up and dragged Ty Lee with her, Mai following behind them. Her mind was racing a hundred miles an hour, and with Sokka's loud yelling, it seemed to be worse. She had a billion thoughts, and all she needed was to get home and calm down, find a good book, and remove herself from the party. She had done enough socializing for a month, and she was exhausted. 

"There's room for everyone in the RV?" Sokka said, a grin on his face, and Mai was quick to shut him down.

"You just drive behind us, okay? Just follow me. I have a car."

Ty Lee apologized to the boy before opening the door, so everyone could get out as Azula was looking around, making sure her father wasn't there.

"Wait, Katara?" Azula spoke as she closed the door behind them, a smirk appearing on her face, the sadness in her eyes long gone. "Why don't you ride with us?"


End file.
